Drivers to Simultaneously Pay Road Tolls and Perform M-Commerce

    SAN JOSE, Calif.--May 21, 2001--New tollway projects and more drivers on the road provide tremendous opportunities for electronic toll collection (ETC) market participants.
    Companies with proven track records of reliability and innovation are poised to win contracts for new ETC systems and increase their market share.
    New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.transportation.frost.com), "North American Electronic Toll Collection Market," reveals this industry generated $264.9 million in 2000, and is projected to reach $750.9 million by 2007.
    A partnership between McDonald's restaurants and SIRIT Technologies Inc. is underway in Orange County, Calif., enabling ETC users to purchase items at McDonald's drive-thrus.
    The field test will determine the feasibility of using AVI transponder technology as a way of purchasing food and paving the way for increased consumer use.
    "New technology allows transponders, a major component of AVI systems, to become interoperable, enabling ETC customers to use them for additional purposes, such as retail purchases and toll parking," says Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Laurence Fourchet.
    Successful field trials will benefit the entire ETC market as it sheds light on the potential of these systems. End users are becoming more familiar and comfortable with this equipment, making them more willing to adopt the technology, driving demand for innovative components and equipment.
    "Some ETC systems have been installed with interoperable transponders that can be used in different states or for other types of applications such as retail purchases," says Fourchet. "The number of interoperable systems is low compared with the high number of ETC systems in use."
    Frost & Sullivan presents the 2001 Marketing Engineering Awards to companies that have worked diligently to make a positive contribution to the North American electronic toll collection industry. These market specific awards are presented to: TransCore's Amtech Technology, Mark IV Industries Inc., SIRIT Technologies and TransCore.